Sleeping pack



Oct. 18, 1938. c 0555, JR 2,133,717

SLEEPING PACK 3 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 30, 1935 g Ni a as

INVENTOR: Ermasfi G. HUDMJ,

TORNEYS.

Oct. 18, 1938. 55c. ROBES, JR

SLEEPING PACK Filed Sept. 50, 1935 d 3 Sheets-Sheeii 2 1 N V EN TOR: Elm/5st 0 501m ,LZ,

TTORNEYS.

Oct. 18, 1938. E. c. ROBES, JR

SLEEPING PACK Filed Sept. 30, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: Ermzsfi 0. iioimgj;

WITNESZS'ESQ TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLEEPING PACK Ernest C. Robes, Jr., Hanover, N. H.

Application September 30, 1935, Serial No. 42,833

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sleeping packs useful to soldiers, woodsmen, hikers, hunters, fishermen and others temporarily living out-door lives.

Broadly, my invention is directed toward the provision of a sleeping pack which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, light in weight and designed for service in lieu of the portable pup tent equipments heretofore ordinarily used by sportsmen, woodsmen and soldiers.

In connection with a sleeping pack having the above attributes, I aim to provide a sleeping bag which will afford protection for the head as well as the body of the sleeper; which can be converted for use as a litter or stretcher; which is 1.1 foldable into a small package; and, which when folded, affords a plurality of storage pockets for blankets and other necessities.

A further object of my invention, is to provide a carrying harness whereby the packcan be conn veniently and comfortably carried in suspension from the shoulders upon the back out of direct contact with the body, and which can be employed generally as a carrier for articles or bundles other than a sleeping pack.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings wherein;

Fig. I is a view in rear elevation, of a sleeping pack embodying my invention with a part thereof so removed to expose details which would otherwise be hidden.

Fig. II shows the pack in front elevation with its carrying harness.

Fig. III shows how the pack is carried about.

Fig. IV is a view corresponding to Fig. I with a flap on the sleeping bag turned up for access to the storage pockets.

Fig. V shows the sleeping bag completely opened ready for use.

Fig. VI is a. longitudinal section of the bag taken as indicated by the arrows VIVI in Fig. V.

Fig. VII shows how the bag is intended to be used for sleeping.

Fig. VIII shows the bag folded ready for the 43 reception of blankets, etc.

Fig. IX is a vertical section of the bag taken as indicated by the arrows IX-IX in Fig. VIII; and,

Fig. X shows the sleeping bag arranged as a litter or stretcher.

As herein illustrated, the portable out-door equipment of my invention comprises a sleeping bag I with an elongated sack portion 2 suitably dimensioned to accommodate the body of the sleeper, and with a flap 3 extending beyond the 55 open end 4 of the sack 2, see Figs. V and VI more particularly. The bag I, I preferably make by folding a single strip of water-proofed canvas or the like along a transverse line 5 to form the sack portion 2, and by permanently uniting the fold by stitched seams 6 and I somewhat inward of the side'edges with incidental formation of margins 8 and 9. For a purpose later explained, the margins 8 and 9 of the sack portion 2 of the bag I are respectively provided with groups III, II and I 2, I3 of grommeted apertures which, it will be noted, are symmetrically arranged in respect to the transverse medial I4--I4 of the sack portion 2. In order that the open end 4 of the sack may be closed except for a central neck aperture I5, means such as slide fasteners conventionally represented at I6, I6 are used to releasably secure segmental portions of the edge I! of the fabric inward of the sack sides to the flap wall of the bag I. Permanently secured to the outer face of the sack wall respectively adjacent the open end 4 of the sack 2 and approximately midway of the length of the latter, are symmetrically-disposed loops I8, I8 and I9, I9 of leather or the like; while the flap 3 is provided at its corners with snap fastener eyes 20, and at corresponding points along its edges with snap fastener studs a and grommeted apertures 2|.

For sleeping, the bag I is used as shown in Fig. VII, with the sleeper completely enclosed by the sack 2 except for his head which is sheltered by the flap 3, the latter being supported by engagement of its corner eyes and grommets 2IJ and 2I respectively with hooks 0r crotches at the upper ends of sustaining rods or twigs 22 driven into the ground.

For carriage, the sleeping bag I is folded upon itself along the line I 4-I4 (Fig. V) whereby the edge 5 of the closed end of the sack 2 is brought into coincidence with the edge II at the open end as shown in Figs. VIII and IX with attendant registration of the grommets III, II and I2, I3 in the superposed halves of the marginal portions 8 and 9 of the bag I. To secure the superposed halves of the marginal portions 8 and 9 at the opposite sides of the bag I, the rods 22 are run through loops 23 and 24 of separate lace strings 25 and 26, said loops being projected through the registering grommets III, II and I2, I3 as shown in Fig. VIII. As a consequence of the folding just described, two separate pockets 2'! and 28 are formed, as shown in Fig. IX, suitable for the storage of blankets, etc. If found more convenient in practice, slide fasteners may be employed to detachably secure the superposed portions of the sack margins 8 and 9 together instead of the grommets I3I3, the lace loops 23, 24 and the rods 22. The flap 3 is next folded along a line Ila-Ila and the end portion beyond said line secured by snap fasteners ll, 23a as shown in Fig. Ix. Then after loading the pockets 21, 23, the sides of the sack 2 are turned or folded inwards as shown in Fig. IV, and the lace strings 2i and 26 passed back and fourth zigzag fashion beneath the rods 22 and around the loops 23 and 24, said strings being started with knots at the lowermost of the grommets II and I3. With the bag I suitably compacted, the ends of the lace strings I! and 2. are tied together in a bow knot as shown at 2! in Figs. I, IV.

Finally, the flap 3 is turned down as shown in full lines in Figs. I, II and III, and in dot-anddash lines in Fig. IX to cover the open tops of the pockets 21 and 23, the folded bag I then having the form of a flat, substantially rectangular package. Incident to the lateral contraction of the sack portion 2 of the bag I by lacing and tying with the strings 25, 2O tapering laps 33 are formed at the sides of the flap 3. Accordingly, when the flap 3 is turned down, the laps 3| insure against ingress of water into the pockets 2! and 28 with the free end of said flap reaching around and covering the sides of the sack 3, as clearly shown in Fig. III.

In order that the pack may be conveniently and comfortably carried about on the back, there is provided a harness including a rigid stiffening frame 3| (Figs. II and III) which may be of wood or of metallic tubing or of light cast metal, with a pair of convergent side verticals 32 and a connecting top horizontal 33 with extended ends. The frame 3I is assembled with the packaged bag I by engaging the bottom ends of its verticals 32 in the loops l9, and the opposite projecting ends of its horizontal 33 in the loops It, also as shown in Figs. II and III. Adjacent their tops and'bottoms, the verticals 32 of the frame ll are provided with rings 34 and 35 respectively for attachment of crossed shoulder straps 36 with buckles 31 whereby they may be adjusted for length in adapting the carrying harness to persons of different proportions. There is also provided a comparatively wide hip strap 33 which extends transversely between the downturned ends 39 of forwardly-reaching arms afforded by a horizontal yoke ll fashioned from stout wire or the like and in the illustrated instance fulcrumed, with capacity for up and down swinging movement, in the verticals 32 of the frame 3I. If desired or found convenient, the yoke 40 may be made rigid with the frame 3I. Upon assembling the frame 3| with the folded bag I, the corners of the flap 3 of said bag are made fast by cords ll passed through the eyes II and tied to the bottom ends of the verticals 3|.

To carry the pack, the straps 38 are engaged over the shoulders with said pack supported in suspension at the back of the person and with the transverse hip strap 33 resting against the back of the waist to hold the frame 3I clear of the person, the yoke 40, by virtue of its pivoted ,connection with said frame, being free to swing rhythmically with the movements of the body in walking. Thus, with the described arrangement, it is evident that the pack is effectively balanced so that a minimum of discomfort and fatigue is experienced in carrying it about over long stretches. Obviously, the harness can be" used generally in carrying other articles or bundles with like ease and comfort.

Inemergencies,thebag l canbeutilisedasa litterorstretcherwhenarrangedasshownin Figxbyrunningpolesor'straighttree branches 42 through the loops 23, 24 of the cords 23, 23; connecting the poles l2 and supplemental cross sticks 43 near opposite ends with cords 44; and securing the flap 3 (with its end portion held down by the snap fasteners 20) to the poles with, cords ll passed through the grommets 2|.

It is of course to be understood that my inventionisnotlimitedtotheprecisedetailsof construction, herein described by way of example. since within the scope of the broader of the appended claims many modiiications are possible without sacrifice of any of the advantages which have been pointed out.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sleeping bag comprising a single length of canvas or the like including a sack portion, a cover flap projecting beyond the open end of the sack, and detachable means whereby, upon folding the sack portion upon itself about a transverse line for convenience of carriage, the superposed side edges of the two folds and the cover flap man be secured together with attendant formation of relatively storage pockets for blankets and other articles.

2. A foldable sleeping bag comprising a single length of canvas or the like with spaced holes along opposite side edge margins, and a flap extending beyond the open end adapted to overlap the sack portion when the latter is folded along a transverse line, and lace strings adapted to be engaged respectively through registering marginal apertures of the superposed portions of the side edges of the bag and flap with incidental joinder of all of said edges and formation of plural storage pockets for blankets and other articles.

3. A foldable sleeping bag of canvas or the like having a sack portion with spaced holes along opposite side margins, and a flap of substantially corresponding width extending beyond the open end of the sack portion, and lace strings adapted, upon folding of the sack portion about a transverse line, to be engaged through registering marginal apertures of the superposed portions of the side edges with incidental joinder of said edges and formation of two storage pockets for blankets and the like, and to be afterwards Ziaag ed between the doubled edges to draw them together and thereby laterally contract the sack portion so that the back and the sides of the latter are covered by the flap aforesaid when it is turned down over the open ends of the two pockets.

4. A sleeping bag made from a single length of canvas or the like to include a sack portion and a cover flap, said sack portion when mediallyfolded about a transverse line forming overlying storage pockets, continuous lacings for detachably securing together the superposed side edges of the two sack folds and flap, and when the side edges are inwardly laced preventing the ingress of moisture to said pockets.

ERNEST C. ROBES, Jr. 

